KILIPECHU KETKAVAA

A movie review by Balaji Balasubramaniam

Kerala superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal are both popular in tamil. But it is surprising to see the difference in their performances in tamil movies when compared to their Malayalam movies. In Malayalam, Mammootty specializes in serious roles and underplayed emotions while Mohanlal is known more for his comic talent. This contrast was apparent in the dubbed Harikrishnans, where Mohanlal was perfectly at ease as the bungling lover while Mammootty seemed like a fish out of water while singing or dancing. But in tamil we have had Mohanlal essaying a serious role in Iruvar while Mammootty has tried his hand at comedy as seen in most of Kilipechu Ketkavaa.

The consummate performer that he is, Mammootty takes the role in his stride. But the movie has much bigger problems than Mammootty's unfamiliarity with comic roles. Without a strong story, the movie meanders along, hinging on a single, flimsy plot device. Another story, which eventually is the main story and causes the climax, is not given its due importance and is pushed to the background. It is just mentioned in passing by one of the characters and the viewer could miss it in the blink of an eye. When the story finally picks up, it is too late and the events in the climax seem hurried and pointless.

Chidambaram(Mammootty) arrives to take up the job of a teacher in a village. His contract stipulates that he must do dual duty - both as teacher and watchman in a house in the village. Initially elated at having found a place to stay, ghost stories about the mansion scare him. The mansion has been unlawfully grabbed from Sadasiva Devan(Vijayakumar) when he was young and he has seen his parents being killed over it. His nanny had burnt herself on seeing the injustice meted out to the boy and its the nanny's ghost that haunts the house. Sadasiva Devan has one left in the yearly 'puja' he is doing and wants the mansion to remain with him. So his grand daughter Sivagami(Kanaga) has been posing as a ghost to scare its temporary inhabitants. But she strikes up a friendship with Chidambaram and uses his belief that she is a ghost to get him to do his bidding. Soundar(Nasser) also has eyes for Sivagami and lays the condition that he must marry her for the last 'puja' to take place.

I cannot recall another movie where the hero and the heroine do not even meet each other for as long as in here. Mammootty first sees Kanaga and they exchange their first words only a few minutes after the intermission! This is one of the funnier scenes with Mammootty first spotting an older woman wearing the dress he is supposed to see Kanaga in. Mammootty's interactions with Kanaga(as the fake ghost) occupy most of the movie. The way she describes his first meeting with Kanaga("she will be rude at first before becoming more docile when you do this") and the way Kanaga makes it happen are clever. But the idea soon loses its charm and we wait impatiently for the main story to kick in.

Fazil's movies have always been small-scale and simple with his narrative style managing to keep us hooked. The down-to-earth nature of his characters helps in identifying with them. But believability doesn't seem to be an attribute he has aspired for here. Be it Kanaga's complicated arrangements to make the house seem haunted, Mammootty's complete acceptance of his situation due to which he does several silly things or his transformation from a meek teacher into an accomplished fighter, the movie is filled with concepts that are impossible to digest.

The entire past, which is responsible for Vijayakumar's actions, is explained to Mammootty in a couple of lines by one of the characters . So we never really fully understand why Vijayakumar is doing the 'puja' or his extreme measures in the past to make sure no one stays in the house or buys it. The climactic fight is extremely long and weary and ending itself seems rather cheesy.

Mammootty charms us as the innocent teacher. He is likeable and funny when imagining how the ghost would look in person. Kanaga is adequate as are Vijayakumar and Nasser. Ilaiyaraja's soundtrack doesn't stand up to his other contributions to Fazil's films. Sivagami Nenappinile... and Anbe Vaa Arugile... are hummable tunes.